The First Symphony

[Bill]

I, too, love the first. Growing up, my parents had the Karajan '62 cycle and Bohm's Vienna cycle, and both blew their 1sts -- I remember dismissing it as the best thing ever written by Mozart.

With the advent of the iPod, I've been on a kick of buying used LvB cycles on the cheap, putting them on the iPod, and comparing each new cycle with the best of the what I thought came from cycles I'd already heard.

As someone who's been listening to a lot of complete cycles in sequence over the past few years, what I love about it that is has that wonderful uplifting introduction, almost like watching an aircraft take off on an epic journey that won't land until that final piccolo in the 9th.

It's as if Beethoven knew what he would accomplish with his symphonies, and decided to kick off with a spry, jaunty opening.

I just relistened to that Andante, mvmt 2, by the way -- still too Mozartian for my tastes, but it really is pretty.

[Peter]

I, too, love the first. Growing up, my parents had the Karajan '62 cycle and Bohm's Vienna cycle, and both blew their 1sts -- I remember dismissing it as the best thing ever written by Mozart.

With the advent of the iPod, I've been on a kick of buying used LvB cycles on the cheap, putting them on the iPod, and comparing each new cycle with the best of the what I thought came from cycles I'd already heard.

As someone who's been listening to a lot of complete cycles in sequence over the past few years, what I love about it that is has that wonderful uplifting introduction, almost like watching an aircraft take off on an epic journey that won't land until that final piccolo in the 9th.

It's as if Beethoven knew what he would accomplish with his symphonies, and decided to kick off with a spry, jaunty opening.

I just relistened to that Andante, mvmt 2, by the way -- still too Mozartian for my tastes, but it really is pretty.

Welcome Bill though I see from your join date that you've been lurking a while before taking the plunge! I think it would be interesting to know what your conclusions on the different cycles or individual performances are.

[Bill]

Thank you! Actually I found this site I think trying to find out if Dorati had done a full cycle with the LSO (I still don't think so), signed up but forgot to bookmark it. Two weeks ago my Firefox went wiggy, I reinstalled it, and this site wound up in the awesome bar for some reason. Pretty cool.

Well the First that's on the iPod is from Solti's first cycle with the CSO. Amazing sound, crisp performance, and overall a real treat. I also thought highly of Bernstein's NYPO 1st and Gardiner's -- which is odd in that I usually hate period instrument recordings.

Dunno if anyone's heard Tilson Thomas with the English Chamber Orchestra, which was a standalone chamber version, but it sounds terrific too.

Do you all mind newbies starting threads? I could prattle on forever about comparing & contrasting the cycles I've heard.

[Michael]

Welcome, Bill. Feel free to chat all you want! You've come to the right place.

[Peter]

Thank you! Actually I found this site I think trying to find out if Dorati had done a full cycle with the LSO (I still don't think so), signed up but forgot to bookmark it. Two weeks ago my Firefox went wiggy, I reinstalled it, and this site wound up in the awesome bar for some reason. Pretty cool.

Well the First that's on the iPod is from Solti's first cycle with the CSO. Amazing sound, crisp performance, and overall a real treat. I also thought highly of Bernstein's NYPO 1st and Gardiner's -- which is odd in that I usually hate period instrument recordings.

Dunno if anyone's heard Tilson Thomas with the English Chamber Orchestra, which was a standalone chamber version, but it sounds terrific too.

Do you all mind newbies starting threads? I could prattle on forever about comparing & contrasting the cycles I've heard.

By all means Bill feel free to prattle on and I think a new thread on the cycles would be welcome. I like much of Gardiner's except for the first movement of the 9th which may well be strict to the metronome marks but struck me as anything but Maestoso. However it's been a while and I ought to give it another go now the shock has worn off! You mentioned Dorati and I've just heard a superb performance of him conducting Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet overture.